Another Lily and James Love Story
by sally.brown1234
Summary: Lily's finally consented to be friends with the Marauders. But she still won't let James in completely. LilyJames, SBOC, slight RT.
1. Another Year at Hogwarts

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N Well, I think I might have something here. Be sure my other Lily/James fic **The Best of Times, the Worst of Times**. Enjoy!

* * *

Chp. 1: Another Year at Hogwarts

Another year at Hogwarts. Students of all ages were climbing onto the Hogwarts Express, waving goodbye to their parents, a few mothers calling after them, suddenly remembering a forgotten book that had been left in the entryway at home and how they would send it with the family owl as soon as they got home.

Another year at Hogwarts. First years were searching for compartments that didn't hold unpleasant rich looking children that would most certainly end up in Slytherin. A confused first year that would most likely end up in Hufflepuff found himself in the Prefects compartment. A destined Gryffindor found herself sitting next to a unhappy looking boy (deifinitely a Ravenclaw) holding a large brown cat.

Another year at Hogwarts. Only, for Lily Evans and her friends, it would be their last year.

"Can you believe that we won't be doing this next year? This is our last year! No more will we buy things from the trolley when Madame Firna comes down the hall. We won't be able to go and spy on the Marauders while they change into their robes! We won't even be able to tell Snivellus that he can't sit with us!" Allison cried.

Allison Craven. Drama Queen of Hogwarts. If anything slightly dramatic happened, Allison could always find a way to make it worse. Sirius Black had been after her for years. With beautiful blonde hair that went straight down her back and blue eyes that complemented it perfectly, she was sometimes said to be the prettiest girl at Hogwarts. She was from a rich pureblood family who lived in the heart of London, but often stayed in Scotland during the summer. She prized herself with being Natalie McDonald's best friend.

Natalie McDonald. Most popular girl at Hogwarts. She was rumored to have been on a date with over half the male population at school. She had dark brown hair and light brown eyes, giving her a very earthy yet gorgeous natural look. She was half and half. Her father was a wizard, but her mother had no magical talents whatsoever. Since she got her fair share of muggle "studies" at home, she was interested in Transfiguration. She lived in the English countryside, and was not quite as rich as her good friend who lived in the same town as she did, Kayla Ryan.

Kayla Ryan. Quiet and subdued, she was Remus Lupin's girlfriend. Dirty blonde curls hung to her shoulders, and she had dark blue eyes. Living in the English countryside had given her a great respect for hard work and determination. Even though her family was a rich pureblood wizarding family, she still appreciated muggles and she was fascinated with Muggle Studies. Her bosom friend was the well-known Lily Evans.

Lily Evans. There are many who are confused about her personality. The only ones who truly know her are her three best friends Allison, Natalie and Kayla. Some say she is too strict and studies too much. Others say she is simply misunderstood, and is really a fun person to be around, she just takes some getting used too. Of course, the only person who says that is James Potter. Mr. Potter was smitten the moment he saw Lily's vibrant red curls and bright green eyes. Lily was, in fact, a well balanced mix of study and play. She was the top student in her classes, but she was not the study freak most people saw her as. She, as you all know, came a from a muggle family, gaining her the fond nickname 'Mudblood' from the Slytherins. She lived in Little Whinging, and often went into London for a break from Petunia, her muggle sister who hated her because of her magical "abilites", or abnormalities, as Petunia called them.

The aforementioned James Potter was still trying to explain himself in his compartment where he sat with his three best friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

"How did you get Head Boy?" Sirius asked again for the 20th time.

"Listen, I didn't ask for it, Ok? Dumbledore must have been drinking or something when he chose me…"

"Think of all the stuff we'll be able to do though. I mean, with James in a position of power and authority, the Slytherins can't do anything!" Sirius exclaimed gleefully.

"I really thought you would get it mate," James told Remus, who just shrugged, looking out the window.

"So who do you think head girl's gonna be?" Peter squeaked, sitting down next to Remus.

"Probably that weird girl from Ravenclaw, what's her name again?" Sirius said, absentmindedly.

"Callie Jones. And no, it's not her. It's Lily. I talked to her before she got on the train." Remus said, and James almost fainted.

"Evans? She's head girl? THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST YEAR EVER!" James shouted, ignoring Remus' attempts to quiet him.

"Potter? Potter!" Came a voice from outside the compartment. The door slid open, and Lily Evans strode in.

"Potter! Come on! We have the Prefects meeting! Sheesh! I better not have to do this every time we have a meeting! I am not babysitting you this year!" She said, then turned and left the compartment. James winked at his fellow Marauders, then got up and followed Lily.

A/N So? What do you think? Good, Bad, Amazing, Terrible? Tell all in your wonderful REVIEWS! I like it...I hope you enjoyed it!

PLEASE REVIEW!


	2. Potions and Herbology

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

A/N Wow, sorry this took so long! I just got super busy, but I will try to update my stories at least once a week from now on!

Thanks to:

**dragonfangjade**- no Remus isn't jealous, he just doesn't mind James being head boy. He has a girlfriend(Kayla)

**Truth in the Moon**-Thanks a ton!

**tm7**-thanks! Updating as soon as possible!

**InkGothical**-Thanks!

**alastriona**-well, I should think it would be hard to find where I live, cause I live on the planet Zanor...just kidding! thanks for the review!

**mango-icecream16**- well, I hope you enjoy! Thanks!

* * *

**Chp. 2 Potions and Herbology**

"My mum sent me a howler this morning," Natalie said, sitting down next to Lily in the Potions classroom. Professor Slughorn looked up at her, then returned his gaze to the parchment on his desk, ignoring Natalie's late entrance.

"What about?" Lily asked, placing chopped mandrake root into her cauldron.

" I apparently left Moira's droppings in my room. I swear, my mom wants to kill my owl," Natalie said, pulling out her Potions book. Lily giggled.

James looked up from his notes, seeing Lily and Natalie whispering and giggling across the room.

"What do you think they're talking about Padfoot?" James asked, watching the girls add ingredients to Lily's potion. Sirius was too busy staring at Allison to notice James, and James went back to reading his notes.

"Oi! Allison! Black's leering at you again!" Natalie whispered to her friend across the room. Allison's head whipped around to find Sirius staring at her, and she took a bowl of flobberworm skins and threw it at him. Sirius ducked just in time, and the bowl went on to hit Lucius Malfoy in the face. Allison ducked under the table, and Malfoy looked up, his eyes landing on Lily, who just shrugged, then returned to her potion.

"Filthy Mudblood," Lucius muttered under his breath, loud enough for James to here.

"Why you…" James began, standing up. But Remus grabbed his arm, dragging him back down.

"Not now James," Remus hissed. James glared at Lucius, then returned to his work.

* * *

"What I wouldn't give to punch that git in the face," James muttered as he, Sirius and Remus walked out of the Potions classroom. 

"We could always prank him. Much easier way to stay away from detention…" Sirius said as they headed for the Great Hall.

"James, you can't! You're head boy!" Remus exclaimed, a disapproving look on his face.

"Well, Prongs doesn't have to help, Moony. You and I can do it," Sirius said.

"Yeah, ok…" Remus mumbled, a grin on his face. "Besides, Lily would kill you if you pranked anyone. And you do want to get on her good side, right?" He asked as the three sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Just because Lily doesn't want me to prank doesn't mean I should stop…" But when James saw the look on Remus' face, he stopped. "Yeah alright. I won't. But I want to be in on the planning. I swear, Evans wants me to be a saint…"

"Oh, back to calling me Evans are we?" Lily asked as she and Natalie sat down across from the Marauders. Kayla sat next to Remus, gaining a short kiss, then began to eat.

"Only when I have to be saintly to be on your good side," James mumbled, looking down at his plate.

"Saintly?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yep, Prongs here has given up pranking." Sirius announced.

"Well I'm glad. I knew you'd come around one day," Lily said.

"What? That's it? No, Good job James. Or, I'm proud of you James?"

" Fine. You can have a gold star and a pat on the back," Lily answered, rolling her eyes.

"That's more like it." James said, pleased.

" So, what class do you have next mate?" Sirius asked James.

"Herbology…and we're helping the 2nd years with Mandrake roots because Professor Sprout it sick." James answered. Lily looked up.

"Professor Sprout is sick? Why didn't I know?" Lily asked.

" Well, I heard from Remus, and Remus heard from Kayla, and Kayla heard from Emily-that chick in Ravenclaw- and I think Emily heard from Jon in Hufflepuff who heard from his friend Sarah-also in Hufflpuff- who heard from Professor McGonagall that Sprouty is ill." James explained.

"Right…I'll just take your word for it," Lily answered.

"Wait, who did Emily hear from?" Sirius asked, and the rest of the table groaned.

* * *

"Alright 2nd years. This is Lily Evans and James Potter. They, as you all know are head boy and girl, and will be taking Professor Sprout's place today. Please show them the utmost respect." Professor McGonagall said, then turned to Lily and James. "If you need anything, send Andrew up to me," she said, pointing at a short Gryffindor boy who was standing closest to the greenhouse door. "Well, if you don't have any questions, I'm off to lunch!" 

"Well, I guess we should get started. I believe you have already started moving the Mandrakes? If everyone would please take a pair of earmuffs, then we can begin," Lily announced.

" Miss Lily! Miss Lily! Ryan's fainted!" a young Gryffindor girl exclaimed. "Miss Lily!" She shouted, waving her hands wildly.

"Uhh…James, you stay here, I'll take Ryan to the Hospital Wing." Lily said, picking the boy up. Thanks to her finely tuned muscles from quidditch, Lily picked the boy up easily. "I'll be right back James. Don't let anyone kill themselves."

"You don't trust me," he said, smirking as he opened the door for her.

"Not yet," Lily muttered, then staggered her way up to the castle.

When Lily came rushing back to the greenhouse, she was surprised to see all the 2nd years working quietly. James was a helping a short Hufflepuff girl, who was so red her face almost matched Lily's hair.

"Just like this?" She asked as she went through the movements James had shown her.

"Exactly…good job Melissa," James said, patting her on the back. Melissa blushed even redder, especially when Lily came over and pulled James away.

"Well, I didn't know you had it in you. Maybe you are a decent person." Lily said, grinning. "And I'm sure Melissa will never be the same, now that you've shown her the famous Potter charm."

" The famous Potter charm? Whatever are you talking about Evans?" James asked, smirking.

Lily just shrugged mysteriously. "But I do know that you have Melissa completely under your spell," she said, gesturing to the girl who still staring dreamily at James. James coughed, looking away.

"It's not my fault! I was just helping her! I can't help it that I have devilishly good looks. Or that I have that famous Potter charm you were talking about." Lily blushed slightly, deciding that now was a good time to go check on a certain brown-haired Slytherin who looked like she was about to cry.

'You can't let him get to you Lils…just because he started being nice and sweet...and amazingly cute... and didn't let all hell break loose when you left him alone with the 2nd years, or that he actually has stopped asking you out every five minutes, or that you love the way his hair falls just perfectly...wait! Hold on there Evans... this doesn't mean you can just forget all the horrible stuff he's done to you…'

A/N well, there it is...now what have we learned?

1. Lucius is an idiot

2. Lily likes James

3. James likes Lily

4. Lily plays quidditch(what position?)hmm...

5. James is responsible!

REVIEW!


	3. Transfiguration and Detention

Disclaimer: Same as always

A/N Sorry this took so long. I am ridiculously busy. I should really be writing an essay right now instead of this, but my brain is kinda fried...so anyway, here it is!

**dragonfangjade**: Thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Hopefully I will update sooner next time!

**Anna A Potter**: I know, wow, when did James become responsible? It's a miracle!

**tm7:** Thanks! Keep reading!

**Truth in the Moon**: Yep, poor Lily. The dark side just calls to her. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Spy Inkie**: Yes, I completely agree. Thanks for the review!

* * *

Chapter 3: Transfiguration and Detention

Lily stared out the window, watching the rain that was falling on the Hogwarts grounds. She vaguely heard Natalie and Sirius arguing about something in the common room, but there was no noise coming from James' dorm. Lily got up quietly, crossing her room to the door adjoining the Heads bedrooms. She slowly opened the door, finding James sitting on his bed, a book in his lap.

"Oh, sorry," Lily whispered, backing out of the room.

"No, it's ok, come in," James said, sitting up. Lily stood awkwardly in the doorway, looking around the dormitory. After a few minutes, she broke the silence.

"Natalie and Sirius are arguing again."

"I heard…"

Lily slowly walked to James' desk, examining the parchment that was sitting on it. There was a particularly old piece sitting on top, and Lily gingerly picked it up.

"What's this?" She asked, walking over to his bed.

"A secret," James answered, not looking up from his book.

"I can keep a secret," Lily informed him, climbing onto the bed.

" Hmm…I'm sure you can," James said as Lily moved to sit next to him. "But see, if the other Marauders found out that I told you, I would be dead. So sorry. No can do."

"Aww…please?" She whispered into his ear.

"I would love to Lily-dear, but I simply can't," James said, snatching the old piece of parchment out of her hands and sliding off his four-poster.

"Fine. I'll just get Peter to tell me," Lily sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. James stopped, closing his eyes.

"You, Lily Evans, are evil," James said.

"Why thank you Mr. Potter. I do believe that is the nicest thing I've heard all day."

"Any time," James answered, turning to face her. Lily sat up, her auburn curls spilling onto her shoulders. James swallowed, a weak smile appearing on his lips. Lily watched him curiously, and James cleared his throat. "Uhh…I guess I'll go then," he said, edging away from the bed. Lily nodded and watched him leave, dropping the old parchment on his desk.

* * *

"Lily's curious about the map," James said as he and Sirius climbed up the marble staircase after lunch.

"You didn't tell her what it was, did you?" Sirius asked as they entered the Transfiguration classroom.

"Of course I didn't," James answered, annoyed at how little faith and trust his best friend had in him. He caught sight of Lily, who was talking to Professor McGonagall, a messenger bag slung over her shoulder. "I don't understand why she's being so civil towards me. It's almost a bit disturbing," James commented, sitting down next to Remus.

"Isn't it good that's she's being civil?" Remus asked, pulling a notebook out of his bag. "I mean, isn't getting her to like you the entire point of your pathetic existence?"

"Thanks Moony, you're a real pal…but now that she actually is being nice, it doesn't feel right…"

"That's just because you've never actually had her like you before. Have you done anything good lately?" Sirius asked.

"I don't think so…"James answered lamely.

"Maybe she was impressed with how you handled the 2nd years in Herbology the other day," Remus offered, pulling out his Transfiguration book.

"Maybe…what do you think Padfoot?" James asked, but Sirius was ignoring James, staring off towards Allison. "Geeze Pads, just ask her out already!"

"What if she says no? " Sirius asked, his eyes still locked on the grinning blonde halfway across the room.

"You're a sad little man," James said, patting Sirius on the back. It was just then that Lily came and sat down at the table in front of James, leaving him completely unfocused for the lesson.

McGonagall was teaching. James vaguely heard her voice in the distance, but he wasn't sure what she was saying. Lily's hair was haphazardly thrown into a sloppy bun, and her bangs were falling onto her forehead in ringlets. James couldn't pull his gaze away from her auburn curls.

"James! James!" Remus hissed, nudging him with his elbow.

McGonagall had asked him a question.

"Mr. Potter? Will you please answer the question?"

"Uhh…gillyweed?" James guessed.

"Congratulations Mr. Potter. You have just earned yourself a detention. I do believe this is the fourth time this week I have caught you daydreaming in this class, and I will not stand for it!" McGonagall exclaimed, her voice growing louder.

Lily giggled, and McGonagall whirled around, her eyes bulging.

"Well, well, well. Ms. Evans! Our two head students, showing a perfect example of what happens when you misbehave in class! Detention! My office. 7:00 tomorrow night!"

Sirius whistled, watching Lily's face turn from a smile to a look of dismay. Kayla fought the urge to burst out laughing, while James could hardly keep the grin on his from spreading.

* * *

"This is all your fault!" Lily said, grabbing a washcloth and dipping it into a bucket that was filled with soapy water.

"If I recall correctly, I didn't force you to laugh at my getting detention. The fault was all yours Lily-dear." James said, wiping down a desk with his own towel.

"And we can't even use magic! How do muggles stand this!" Lily asked as she began to mop the floor. They had been assigned to clean the Potions classroom and re-organize the Potions closet.

"Aren't you a muggle-born?" James asked suspiciously.

"Oh yeah…"

"You forgot?" James asked.

"Well, when you live somewhere where everyone uses magic 24/7, it's kinda easy to forget that your real home sucks…" Lily sighed. James watched her carefully, not sure how to respond. Finally he spoke up.

"Is it really terrible? When you go home, I mean…" he asked, sitting on a desk. Lily looked up at him, an expression of surprise on her face. She finally sat down on another desk.

"My sister Petunia won't look at me anymore. She just pretends I'm not there. And ever since my mom died in 4th year, my dad hasn't been the same. He seems to feel like I was responsible for her death." Lily said slowly, dropping her wet washcloth into the bucket of soapy water they were using.

"How did she die?" James asked softly, and Lily looked down at her hands in her lap.

"It was Voldemort. He knew who she was. The Ministry told my dad that she died in a bus accident. But no, I got the whole story. Apparently, I'm a wanted witch. Something to do with how powerful I am at healing…but I don't know. Maybe Voldemort and Dumbledore see something that I don't. That's why Dumbledore asked me to join the Order. He wants to keep me safe."

James nodded. Dumbledore had asked him to join the Order as well, along with Sirius, because of his family situation, and also because Dumbledore wanted to keep an eye on them as well.

"Why doesn't anyone know about this? Why wasn't it in the Daily Prophet?" James asked.

"The Ministry's trying to keep everyone calm, so they've been keeping the killing's quiet…" Lily answered.

"But why didn't I know? How could I have not noticed that your mom was dead?" James asked, standing up.

"You never asked. And I didn't have friends until the end of 4th year. And I only told them about my parents halfway through 5th year." Lily said.

James just stared back at her. How could Lily not have friends for four years? Aside from the Marauders, Lily was the only other person James felt completely and totally comfortable around. How had he not noticed all of these things before? 'Maybe Remus is right' James thought to himself. ' Maybe I have been an insufferable git these past few years…' He glanced back at Lily, who had started to clean again, praying that she would forgive him.

A/N Aww...James finally had a change of heart! Lovely! Anyway, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it.


	4. Tea Leaves and Quidditch Practice

Wow, it's been like, 2 months since I've updated! SO SORRY! I've been beyond busy! I hope this chapter is good!

Thanks to all my **amazing **reviewers!

Disclaimer: Same as always!

* * *

Tea Leaves and Quidditch Practice

"Good morning children! How lovely it is to see you this morning! What an absolutely gorgeous morning it is too!"

"She's in one of her moods again!" Natalie whispered to Lily. They were watching Professor Alastria, their Divinations teacher, wander through the Great Hall, greeting first and second years as she went.

"And we have Divination first! She'll have us doing tea-leaves again!" Lily moaned.

Whenever Professor Alastria was in her 'giddy' mood, as Sirius called it, she had all of her classes do tea-leaf readings for the entire hour. Which meant, if you weren't creative enough, you had to drink about 15 cups of her dreadful tea.

"Ms. Evans! Ms. McDonald! How lovely! Looking forward to tea-readings this morning?" Professor Alastria asked as she passed the Gryffindor table. Lily and Natalie nodded vigorously, and Professor Alastria replied, "That's the spirit! Tallyho!"

"Maybe if we switch partners, she won't make us read as long. I think I've been partners with Kayla for the past 30 times we've done this!" Natalie said as she and Lily gathered up their books and climbed the marble staircase.

"Maybe if we skip, we won't have to read at all!" Lily said as they turned a corner and ran straight in James and Sirius.

"Skip? My goodness Lily, James has been such a bad influence on you," Sirius said as they continued walking. Lily blushed, then turned her face to look out the window, hoping James wouldn't notice.

"What's so bad that would make you guys want to skip Divination?" James asked.

"Alastria's in her giddy mood, isn't she?" Sirius asked, a horrified look on his face, and Natalie nodded.

"Let's skip." James said quickly, and Lily giggled.

But they did indeed end up going to Divination that morning, much to the dismay of both Lily and Natalie.

"Ahh, lovely 7th years. Are you ready to do tea-leaf readings? Or do I need to explain the intricate art again?" Professor Alastria asked. The entire class shook their heads, and Alastria began pouring tea into her blue flower-covered tea cups. Lily was partnered with James. She was sure this was the fault of Natalie, who had quickly become partners with her boyfriend Josh Pritchett, a 7th year from Ravenclaw, Kayla, who had chosen Remus, and Allison, who was paired with Sirius. James looked exceedingly pleased with his partner, and quickly drank his first cup of tea. He passed his cup to Lily, and she began examining the leaves that had stayed at the bottom.

"Hmm…well, there's this heart-looking thing, and that means, uh…er, you've found your true love…" Lily flipped through the pages of her textbook, blushing. James watched her, grinning. "Oh wait, maybe it's a circle. That means long and pleasant life."

"Oh dear child. You've found your true love! Wonderful!" Professor Alastria said, peering over Lily's shoulder into James' tea cup. Lily only turned redder, burying her head in her book.

"Ok, well, in yours, there's this…wait, it looks like the thing in mine!" James exclaimed excitedly. "Looks like you've found your true love too Lils! Congratulations!" Lily didn't dare to look up at him, instead sending a look that said 'I hate you!' to Natalie, who just shrugged.

Meanwhile, Kayla was busy interpreting Remus' tea leaves. Kayla was the one member of the class who had great aptitude for Divination, and she actually understood it.

"Hmm…this is wierd…" She mumbled, examining the cup. Remus watched her, and she continued to turn the cup, peering at it from different angles. "Well, there's a moon, but that's not anything special. Full moon this Wednesday, right?" she asked quietly, and Remus nodded. "But there's also a bird-like figure. A Phoenix maybe?"

Remus took his cup and looked at it. He didn't see the figure, but if Kayla saw it, he trusted her. He didn't know what the phoenix stood for, but he was sure he would find out soon.

* * *

"Urgh…I think I'm gonna be sick!" Sirius said as they stumbled out of Divination and headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. 

"How many cups did you have?" Natalie asked, helping him down the long winding staircase.

"11, the old hag wouldn't stop looking over my shoulder, and Allison kept pretending to see something new with every cup!" Sirius answered.

"I got out with just one," Lily said, glancing over at James, then quickly looked away, as he was staring at her.

"How did you manage that?" Natalie moaned.

"Uhh, Alastria felt that our predictions were quite accurate," James answered, grinning.

" What were they? Maybe I could use them next time," Allison asked.

"Oh, they were nothing special," Lily answered quickly. Natalie looked at Lily suspiciously, but Lily shook her head, giving her a look that said 'not now'.

They took their seats, waiting for class to start.

"Kayla found a phoenix in my cup. What do you think?" Remus asked James as Professor McGonagall entered with a young, happy looking wizard.

"Professor Minch has resigned so that she can take care of her grandmother. Your new teacher will be Professor Cornelius Fudge. I expect you all to be extremely respectful!" And with that, McGonagall left the room, leaving the students to stare at Professor Fudge.

"Well, Hello! As you already know, my name is Cornelius Fudge. It's simply marvelous to meet you all. Before I decided that I wanted to teach here at Hogwarts, I worked at the Ministry of Magic. I expect some of you will go on to work for the Ministry once you're done here." Fudge rambled on for a bit, talking about his job at the ministry, but Lily wasn't listening. Her sole focus was on James hand, which was lightly tapping the table, extremely close to hers. Eventually, it touched hers, and Lily jumped, startling James, her fingers tingling.

"Sorry," James muttered, and Lily immediately turned red.

"It's ok," she mumbled, placing her hands in her lap.

"Now, what was the last subject you all covered?" Fudge was asking the class.

Lily glanced at James, seeing the faint smile on his face. She looked down at her hands, frowning. Why was she acting so jumpy around James? Were the tea-leaves right? Had she found her true love? If she had, how could it be James Potter? She hardly even knew the boy! Wait, why did her love have to be James? There were plenty of boys she was attracted to at Hogwarts, like...well, none came to mind at the moment, but she was sure she could think of at least one!

"Now I'm not sure, but I think the answer is Pixie repellant," Fudge answered, calling on another student.

Lily looked up, squinting out the window. It had to be almost 11:00. Seventh years had an off-period next, and James had scheduled quidditch practice.

The seventh years left DADA without having learned a thing, thanks to Fudge. They were quite sure that he was going to be completely incompetent, and they decided that Fudge was almost as fun to make fun of as Professor Alastria. Lily however, was not looking forward to practice.

She made it out to the field, and seeing Sirius, ran over to meet him. Sirius was one of Gryffindor's beaters, the other being a 5th year named Jonathan, who liked to hit all sorts of items with his bat. Lily was one of the three chasers. The others were Allison, and a 3rd year named Julia who had long blonde hair. James was keeper and captain, while a short, skinny 6th year named Clarissa was seeker. Sirius had dated Clarissa for a week or so in the previous year, then broken up with her, resulting in a losing streak for the Gryffindor team. Sirius would randomly decide to hit a bludger her way, and she would duck, yelling obscenities at him, gaining the opposing team a penalty shot. But Clarissa had finally moved on to her current boyfriend, a Hufflefuff 6th year, and Sirius of course had moved on to Allison.

"Hey! Have you seen James?" Lily asked, sitting next to Sirius on the grassy field.

"He's barricaded himself in the locker room. Why?" Sirius asked, sitting up.

"You know that prediction James and I made this morning? It was a heart. That means you've found your true love. James and I both found one" Lily answered.

"I know," Sirius said.

"What?" Lily asked.

"James told me. During Defense Against the Dark Arts." Sirius answered nonchalantly.

"Oh…well, I'm avoiding him, so any help you can give me would be great."

"No can do Lily-flower. Sorry, but I'm all for you and James." Sirius said.

"Who said that my true love was James?" Lily asked quickly.

He shrugged. "But I don't see you sighing and gazing at any other blokes here now do I?" Sirius asked.

"I do not 'sigh and gaze' at James! I don't gaze at anyone!" Lily said, taken aback.

"That's what you think." Sirius answered, standing up.

But before Lily could answer, she caught sight of James walking across the quidditch field, shouting something at Jonathan, who was trying to hit a rock at Clarissa with his bat. When he saw Lily, he stopped, watching her. She stood up slowly, and picking up her broom, mounted it, trying to put as much distance between her and James as possible.

"Good luck mate," Sirius whispered as he passed James. "She's totally in-love with you."

James grinned, mounting his own broom, and, careful not to get too close to Lily, began practice.

A/N Well, there it is. I think it's longer than my other chapters. YAY! I'm trying people!

Review!


	5. Dates and 10 Year Olds

A/N Sorry this took so long. I think my writing's getting better with each chapter though, and progess is the key right? Hope you like this chap!

Disclaimer: I only own Kayla, Natalie, Josh, Allison, Alastria, maybe a few others...and even those I don't have copyrights on them...so I guess I really own nothing...

* * *

Chp. 5 Dates and 10 Year-olds

Lily sat up in her four-poster, watching the snow fall slowly outside of her window. A bright red piece of paper reading, "Hogsmede today! Wake up sleepy-head, Love Natalie!" was floating at the foot of her bed. Lily sighed, falling back against the pillows. She was glad she had her own room; her own quiet room.

Suddenly, the door crashed open and Allison flew onto Lily's bed, screaming. Sirius stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, a grin on his face.

"You know, you're going to have to come out sometime," Sirius said.

"Never!" Allison shouted.

"Are you guys fighting again?" Lily asked, sliding off her bed.

"He attacked me!" Allison answered, her voice high and shaky as Lily stepped behind her changing screen.

"I would hardly call it an attack," Sirius began. "Just some harmless tickling, that's all."

"For Allison, that's an attack," Lily said, pulling on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and green and tan sweater. She slipped into a pair of boots and stepped out from behind the screen.

The room was empty. Lily crossed to the door and peered out into the common room.

Allison, Kayla and Natalie were standing across from Remus, Sirius and James. Natalie was positioned in front of the other two, her hands on her hips. Sirius was muttering something to James, but James wasn't listening.

Lily met James' gaze and she blushed, looking away. She quickly moved to where Natalie was standing, opposite of the boys.

"So, what are we doing?" Lily asked, whispering into Natalie's ear.

"I think Sirius is actually going to do it. I've already convinced Allison to say no," Natalie answered.

Allison looked like she was going to be sick. Then Sirius stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"Allison," he began, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat again, then continued. "I was wondering, well…would you go to Hogsmede with me today?"

"Absolutely not Black! She would never-" Natalie exploded, but was interrupted by Allison.

"Natalie! I can handle this!" She hissed, and Natalie stepped back, a bit surprised. "Now, would you please repeat the question?" she asked, returning her focus to Sirius.

Sirius looked as if Christmas had been cancelled.

"Again? I have to ask again?" He whispered weakly, looking horrified. James and Remus sniggered behind him, and Allison nodded. "Uhh…would you uhh….like to go to Hogsmede with me?"

Allison's face softened when she noticed the sincerity in his voice.

"Um, sure. I would love to," she finally answered.

"What?" Sirius asked, wondering if he had heard right.

"WHAT?" Natalie screeched, and Lily had to hold her back so that she wouldn't jump Sirius.

"I said yes. Now, shall we go?" Sirius stared back at her until finally James smacked him on the head.

"Oh, uh, yeah…" Sirius said, then followed her as she climbed out through the portrait hole. Kayla, Remus and Natalie followed, leaving Lily and James alone in the common room.

"I knew she'd say yes," Lily said quietly, watching them leave. "I think she's liked him for a while now. She just never said anything about it."

"Well, Sirius is completely in love. I've never seen him so nervous around a girl." James laughed.

Lily grinned. "They're probably waiting for us. I've gotta grab my cloak," she said, walking towards her room.

"I'll wait for you in the Entrance Hall!" he called after her. Lily closed the door behind her, then stifled a scream.

Sitting on the edge of her trunk was a regal looking falcon, staring back at her with icy-blue eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked as the falcon suddenly morphed into a young girl with bright bubblegum-pink hair. Nymphadora Tonks was 10 years old and had just recently become an underaged animagi.

"I was going to wait for you at Hogsmede, but I thought I would surprise you!" Tonks answered, giving Lily a hug. "And I couldn't wait to see Gryffindor pummel Ravenclaw in the match tomorrow…and of course Remus…wanted to see how he was doing…full moon, right?" she said, blushing a deep red.

Tonks had a bit of a crush on Remus.

"Nym," Lily began, calling Tonks by her hideous nickname that Sirius had made up for her, "he's got a girlfriend. And he's seven year's older than you…"

"Well of course he has a girlfriend. Kayla! Don't be silly Lil! Do you think I fancy him…boys are gross!" Tonks giggled.

'I know you fancy him.' Lily thought to herself.

Lily knew that Tonks and Remus had an extremely deep if not delicate relationship. If Tonks were older, Lily was sure they would be going out. Tonks seemed to understand Remus in a way that no one else did, as if she could see into his soul. But Tonks was still immature, although she was very wise for her age. Remus always commented on how brilliant he thought she was.

"Isn't James waiting for you in the Entrance Hall?" Tonks asked, pulling Lily out of her reverie. Lily nodded, grabbing her cloak.

"But we aren't going together. We aren't going out. I don't even like him…" Lily stammered.

"I never said you did," Tonks answered innocently.

* * *

"Thank God for hot chocolate," Sirius said, his teeth chattering. Allison giggled as they sat down on benches outside of Honeydukes. 

"It's not good as butterbeer," Natalie commented dully.

"We're going to the Three Broomsticks for dinner," Lily answered, watching Allison as she sat down very close to Sirius.

"Yeah, in like, four hours." Natalie whined.

"Wow, you complain more than me, the 10 year old," Tonks declared from where she was standing, leaning against the Honeydukes display window. Remus and Lily grinned, watching Natalie's frown turn to a scowl. But suddenly, she jumped up, spotting Josh, her boyfriend from Ravenclaw.

"I gotta go, I'll see you guys at dinner!" she shouted as she ran off.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I've got to visit Zonko's," Sirius said, getting up, followed by James and Allison.

"I actually have to send a letter to my sister in Glasgow. You wanna come Tonks?" Kayla asked, and the younger girl nodded, leaving Lily alone with Remus.

"Wow…that was fast," Lily commented, watching the last two walk off towards the Post Office. After a long, comfortable silence, Lily spoke again.

"I'm worried about Tonks."

Remus looked up at her, then back down at his hands, which were resting in his lap.

"Me too…" he finally said. "I just wish I knew what I was worried about. I just have this gnawing feeling that something is going to happen to her, but I don't know what it is…"

"She loves you," Lily said quietly.

"I know. I love her too. Everyone does," he answered.

"No, I mean really loves you." Lily continued.

Remus sighed. "She's 10 years old Lils. She'll have to get over it."

Lily gazed at him, watching the emotions fighting with each other in his eyes.

"I know…" He finally said. "But it's different with her. She doesn't seem like she's 10 when she's around me. She feels like she's 17 just like the rest of us. I don't think I've ever wanted to kill someone so badly one minute and then be so afraid that I can't protect or love them enough the next minute. Why does she have to be so young Lils? Does the Universe hate me?" He asked.

"Remus, I don't know why you feel the way you do about her…"

"I feel like a pervert when I think about her. I mean she's 10! But I love her so much!" Remus' eyes opened wide at this statement, and Lily smiled softly.

"Wait a few years Remus. You aren't perverted. Maybe you and Tonks are meant to be, and that's why you feel this way. Better to find your heart's desire now than to spend all your life looking for it and never find it," Lily said slowly. It was like the cliche phrase her mom always used to say. 'When you know, you know!' An image of James popped into her head. She quickly shoved his picture out of her brain and stood up. "I still have to buy something at Honeydukes. Come with me?" She asked, offering him her hand. He took it, stood up, and she slipped her arm through his.

"Thanks Lily," He whispered to her, a sad look in his eyes.

She just smiled back at him, then pushed the door to the sweetshop open.

* * *

"Padfoot, what should I get Lily for Christmas?" James asked, examining a package of dung-bombs. 

"Chocolate."

"No, something better than that," James said.

"Tampons."

"Pads!"

"Or those. What? Girls always need tampons. Perfect present." Sirius said nonchalantly.

"I'm not giving Lily tampons for Christmas Padfoot," James sighed.

"Well I should hope not. She'd never speak to you again," Allison commented, suddenly appearing at Sirius' side. "That better not be the best thing you can come up with," she whispered into his ear.

"Of course not. What idiot would be his girlfriend tampons for Christmas?" Sirius whispered back and James groaned.

"Don't worry James. I know exactly what you should get her. We'll have to visit the old bookstore by the Shrieking Shack." Allison said, following Sirius to the counter to pay.

"Have we ever been to the old bookshop Prongs?" Sirius asked as they left Zonko's.

"I've been in there a few times," James answered, catching sight of Lily through the Honeydukes window. "What is it that you're looking for Allison?" he asked as they neared the store.

"You'll see," Allison replied, pulling the door open.

The shop smelled of musty old books. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, and there were tables scattered about the room piled high with books. An elderly wizard in shabby robes was up on a tall ladder looking through books on a top shelf.

"Over here!" Allison whispered, motioning the boys over to a table, covered in old-looking notebooks. James picked up a black, leather-bound book, adorned with a dark green vine running up and down the spine, small white honeysuckles blooming through the leaves. He opened it carefully, feeling the worn parchment.

"It's perfect Allison. How did you know?" James asked quietly, still admiring the journal.

"Lily loves to look at these, but she's never bought one," Allison explained.

James bought the journal, then noticed that it was time to meet the others for dinner, and they set out for the Three Broomsticks.

Lily, Remus, Kayla and Tonks were already sitting, sipping steaming mugs of butterbeer.

"Hey kiddo," Sirius said, sitting next to Tonks. James sat next to Sirius and Allison next to Kayla.

"Natalie and Josh are coming. They're at the Shrieking Shack taking pictures. Natalie sends them to her little sister to make her paranoid. Apparently, Natalie pretends like they have a ghost living in their attic, and Amy, her sister is really scared of it. Not as scared as she is of the monsters in the Shrieking Shack though," Tonks laughed without thinking.

Lily stared at her, giving her a look that said, "not smart, stop talking". Tonks shut her mouth, looking carefully at Remus.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to," She whispered.

"It's alright," he answered, a soft, forgiving smile playing on his lips. He was thankful that Madam Rosmerta chose that time to take their orders.

* * *

"I am the Ultimate Champion. The King of the World. Ruler of the Universe!" James exclaimed, standing on the chair. Lily rolled her eyes, sipping her pumpkin juice. 

"Congratulations Prongs. You won the Gobstones tournament." Sirius said dully.

"Aww, come on Pads! You're just jealous," James said, sitting back down.

"Yes, James…that's it. I'm jealous of you victory in Gobstones…" Sirius yawned.

Tonks was already asleep, her head resting on Remus' shoulder.

"It's past this one's bedtime," Remus smiled, patting her on the shoulder.

"I'll get her to bed," Natalie offered, waking Tonks up and leading her to the girls dormitories.

"Good day…" Sirius sighed, leaning back in his chair. Allison leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. James whistled, and Sirius' face turned red.

"Well boys, sleep well," Lily giggled, and she, Allison and Kayla left the common room.

"What is it with girls?" Sirius asked, turning to James, who just shrugged.

"Another game?" James asked, gesturing to the forgotten gobstones.

"Yeah ok…" Sirius consented, prepared to lose again.

A/N Hey everybody! Wow, this is one of the longest chapters I've written! 2060 words! Kudos to me! I'm working on getting them longer.

I know that Tonks isn't brilliant, and that she is much younger than Remus, but I really wanted her in the story. And yes, I know that she's not an animagus, but I thought that it was a good way to introduce her into the story. And no, Remus isn't perverted…I know it sounds weird now, but hopefully it will work out in the end!

Review!


	6. New Beginnings

A/N So it's been about two months since I last updated. SO SORRY! I've been uber busy with school and other stuff. Hopefully I'll be updating more during the summer. Don't worry though, I haven't abandoned this story! Thanks to all my reviewers for the last chapter who I so ungraciously forgot to thank. I'll get back to that in the next chapter! You guys are amazing!

Disclaimer: Yeah, see previous chapter.

* * *

Chapter 6: New Beginnings

Lily watched as he moved in closer, completely frozen. What was happening? James' lips were almost touching hers.

How had she gotten here?

_Clarissa was weaving in and out of the tall stands. Sirius was yelling something to James, and Allison had the quaffle._

Oh. Right. The quidditch match.

_Allison tossed the red ball to Lily, and Lily sped towards the three golden hoops at the other end of the field. She threw the quaffle at the far right hoop, and it went through, Ravenclaw's keeper to slow to stop it._

_Her 11th goal. What was taking Clarissa so long?_

_Lily scanned the sky, looking for Gryffindor's speedy seeker. The 5th year was searching the field, squinting through the sunlight. She must have seen something, because she immediatly went into a dive, chasing an unseen object, presumably the golden snitch._

_Gryffindor's other chaser Julia threw the quaffle to Lily, and Lily passed it to Allison, who quickly made another goal. _

_Suddenly, a loud cheer rose in the stadium. Led by the Gryffindors, the Hufflepuffs had begun to stand up and were now shouting and cheering at the top of their lungs. Lily saw James descending and she caught sight of Clarissa, a small golden ball clutched in her hands, its wings still flapping._

_"We won Lils!" Allison shouted. _

_But Lily was distracted when a strong pair of arms circled her waist, and she was lifted off the ground. _

_"You played really amazing today Lily," James whispered into her ear. _

_Lily couldn't move. James turned her in his arms to face her, and brushed the bangs out of her face. Lily watched as he moved in closer, completely frozen. James' lips were almost touching hers._

Oh yeah. That's how.

But before James could kiss her, they were interrupted by Sirius tackling James, effectively knocking them to the ground. Lily rolled away from the two boys, standing up quickly, and ran to the locker room.

"Padfoot you git! I was about to kiss her!" James exclaimed as he stood up.

"Sorry mate, but if you were about to, then I'm sure it could happen again. Now I have to go congratulate my amazingly talented girlfriend." Sirius said, then ducked through the crowd, searching for Allison.

Lily, on the other hand, was speeding up towards the castle, after having dropped her broom off in the locker room. She made it up the marble staircase before running right into Lucius Malfoy.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Lily Evans. Don't you look…flustered." He sneered.

"Get out of my way Malfoy, before I hex you into next week," Lily threatened, giggling on the inside at how cliché her statement sounded. "Or I could just set the Marauders on you."

"Your little 'boy-toys' don't scare me, Lillian." He retorted, scowling. Lily was snickering at Lucius' word choice, when suddenly, his face went from a scowl to obvious fear.

"What do you want Malfoy?" It was Remus, although Lily wasn't quite sure why the Slytherin would be so scared of the Marauder.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He said, and turning back to Lily he hissed " Until our next meeting, Ms. Evans." And then he was gone, his black cloak trailing behind him.

"What was that about?" Remus asked, as he and Lily began walking down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Common Room.

"I have no idea. Why was he so scared of you though?" She asked. "He doesn't know, does he?"

"Know what? That once a month I turn into a freaky hairball of fun? I wouldn't put it past him." Remus said sullenly. "Dufflepud", he muttered, and the Fat Lady's portrait swung forward. A cheer rose as Lily and Remus entered. Somehow, the entire house had made it back to the Common Room before they had. Lily spotted Natalie, who was sitting at a table, eating a piece of pie, and she went to join her.

"Ok, big news." Lily began, and Natalie set her fork down.

"James kissed you." She immediately guessed.

"Almost…geeze, why do you have to steal my thunder?" The redhead whined, taking a bite of her friends pie.

"Wait, he didn't actually kiss you? What happened?"

''We were attacked by Sirius." Lily answered.

"I'll kill him for you. I've been looking for a good excuse." Natalie replied.

"I'm not sure Allison would be too happy with us if we killed her boyfriend."

"What about me?" Sirius asked, plopping down next to Natalie and draping an arm around her shoulders. She immediately smacked him and scooted away, leaving Sirius with a hurt look on his face. "She's touchy. Anyway, sorry about interrupting your little moment with James. Totally not my fault."

"Sure it wasn't." Lily commented, standing up.

"You going to find him? I'll stay out of your way." Sirius offered.

"We'll see." Lily replied, and walked away from the table, weaving in and out of the crowds of celebrating Gryffindors. She ended up on the balcony outside of her dormitory. It had begun to snow, and she pulled her cloak tightly around her, snowflakes falling on her face and landing in her hair.

"Lily?"

The corners of Lily's mouth turned to a half-smile as James came and stood next to her.

'How predictable…' she thought to herself, looking up at the cloudy, gray sky

"Hey, I was wondering where you ran off to after the game." He began, leaning against the stone railing, facing away from the grounds. Looking straight at her. In close proximity.

"Uhh…yeah, I ran into Remus, and we just came up here together," She answered quickly, choosing not to look at him.

James didn't speak for some time after that, and he turned, looking at the sky himself. Lily's breathing was getting shallow, and her palms were starting to sweat.

"What's wrong with us, Lils? Why can't we work?" James asked. "I've tried. Do I seem like I've been trying? Cause I'm about ready to give up."

"You won't though…" She whispered.

"What?" He asked, looking at her.

"You won't give up. Giving up isn't in your vocabulary, James Potter. You don't understand the concept."

"So what is so wrong about me, that you just can't stand?" He asked.

Lily didn't answer. She couldn't answer. She tried to think of all the excuses she had used in the past to avoid going out with him when he asked, but none of them worked now.

"I'm sorry James. I don't have an answer."

"Isn't that a good thing?" He asked, a hopeful look on his face.

"No! Yes…I don't know!" She exclaimed, clutching the sides of her head. "You're so complicated James! I don't understand you! One minute you're being the hero, and the next you're back to being five years old, pranking the life out of someone! And then you say you love me, but when I ask, you won't leave me alone!"

"Because I love you." He finished. She turned to look at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Because I know, somewhere, deep down inside, you kinda like me too. I just have to find where that is, and dig it up…because I'm not letting go Lily. I can't." He turned to leave, but Lily grabbed his arm, turning him back to face her. She looked at him, his dark eyes full of emotion. Then, she did something she would never regret. Lily leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"I don't think I'm ready James…it's too much…" She whispered into his ear.

"It's not. You just don't trust me yet. I'll be here when you're ready to jump Lils." He whispered back, then turned and went back into the common room.

A/N Well, there it is. I'll conclude a little better in the next chapter. Once this week is over, I have pretty much nothing that is super duper pressing for a while, so I should have more time to write.

REVIEWS ARE MOST APPRECIATED!!!


	7. Ready to Jump

A/N Ok, here is my pathetic excuse for a next chapter. It's not awful, jut really really short. It gives a somewhat stupid explanation for Remus loving Tonks, because I just couldn't take it anymore.

And it's come to my attention that some reviewers are a bit hostile. Thanks for the criticisms, but the things that are different/wrong as some of you are pointing out are different/wrong for a reason. But thanks for telling me! I appreciate all my reviews!

Disclaimer: See last chapter.

* * *

Chapter 7: Ready to Jump

Lily picked up her new feather quill, a recent present from Remus, and dipped it in the inkwell. Before she could write anything, however, Kayla came and sat down next to her, a loud "Humph!" escaping from her lips.

"Um, hello to you too?" Lily replied quietly, looking uncertainly at her friend.

"He finally did it." She said angrily.

"Who and what?" Lily asked, setting her quill down with a sigh. Her charms essay would have to wait.

"Remus. He broke up with me. I knew he would. He's been distant for weeks now." Kayla explained. To Lily's surprise, Kayla wasn't crying. She seemed more angry than anything. Lily of course had known that Remus was planning to break up with Kayla because of Tonks…even after Tonks had left, he still talked to Lily about it.

"I just wish I could leave and never see her again…I love Kayla! I really do…"

"Just not in the same way…" Lily supplied, trying to be helpful.

"Like the way James loves you." He finished.

Lily looked away, frustrated. Everyone was trying to convince her to go out with James, and she was getting extremely annoyed.

"Either James and I will happen, or we won't! I wish people would just leave us alone!!" Lily exclaimed.

"He won't force you into anything. But you're killing him Lily. We're just looking out for him." He paused, watching her carefully. "It's not always about you, Lily."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, sounding offended.

"You're really being a bit selfish Lils. I wasn't going to say anything, but with you not giving James an answer, and then getting mad when people say things about it because we **care about you two** makes us think that we shouldn't be trying to help you."

"Remus, did I say anything about you when you told me you had this perverted love for a 10 year old? No, I didn't. Did I listen? Yes. Did I tell you that you are disgusting? No." She paused. "Why do you like her anyway?"

"I can't tell you." He answered, looking away.

"Oh no, you don't get off that easily." She said, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her.

"Fine! You can't tell anyone though, ok?" Lily nodded, and he led her to an empty table closer to the back of the library. "It was in Divinations one day, in 5th year. I had gone back to turn in a paper I had left in the dorm. Only, Professor Alastria wasn't there. Her crystal ball was though." He paused again, closing his eyes. "I saw her Lily. I saw her, and I saw me, and we were together. And I all of the sudden felt this weird protectiveness for Tonks that I've never felt before. I think what I saw was me around my 30's. I just remember the way she looked at me. Kayla's never looked at me like that…It's the same way James looks at you." He finished, sounding guilty.

"You said you've never seen anything in a crystal ball." Lily replied, looking somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, well…where we would we Marauders be without our lies?" he asked, grinning.

"So that's why you feel this way. It's not so much about her now…it's about her in the future." Lily mused.

"Sorry I couldn't explain sooner." He said guiltily.

"That's ok. I guess I should trust you more…but when you were talking about being in love with a ten-year old, I was seriously thinking about denouncing our friendship." Lily smirked. They sat in silence for a moment, until Lily gathered enough courage to speak again. "So why does James 'love' me?"

"Ask him yourself." Remus answered, grabbing his book bag and leaving the table, Lily still sitting, staring at the wall.

"Men." She huffed, then stood up and exited the library.

* * *

"Allison. What is it that you like most about Sirius?" Lily asked, staring into the common room fire.

"Is this about James?" Allison asked, not looking up from her potions essay.

"Oh alright. Yes. It's about James." Lily conceded grumpily.

"Lily, just give the poor boy an answer! He's dying. I know you don't see it, but the rest of the bloody school does, and we're all getting a bit tired of it." Allison said. Lily looked up at her surprised.

"Fine. I'll talk to him. But I'm not promising anything," Lily declared, standing up.

"He's changed Lily. Really he has. And I know you've noticed. Just...just think about it." She finished, and Lily nodded, then slowly made her way to the heads dormitories.

She entered his room silently to find him sitting and reading by the window. She sat down on his bed, folding her hands in her lap.

"Hi." He greeted uncertainly.

She didn't respond. She just sat in silence, staring at her hands. Finally, she gathered enough courage to say something.

"I am scared James. I'll admit that."

He watched her carefully from the window, not moving.

"I'm scared of the future. I'm scared of Voldemort, and the attacks that the Ministry tries to cover up. I'm scared of exams and finally being on my own in life. But none of that compares to how scared I am of you. And I don't know if I can jump James. You have to help me."

James stood up, walking slowly to her.  
"Of course Lily! I'll be standing next to you, holding your hand!" He answered, and Lily had to fight the inward giggle at the cheesiness of his words. But they fit.

Lily took a deep breath and reached out her hand, taking his fingers in hers.

"Then I'm ready to jump."

A/N well, there it is. No it's not over. Just the retarted, annoying part before they get together is.

REVIEW PLEASE!

Thanks to:

SweetSouthernGal: thanks for the spelling correction! And I know, I was trying to get away from the creepy thing between Tonks and Remus! Thanks for your review!

fairydustandcansofspam: thank you for your neverending support!

AJ: I realize that Lily doesn't play Quidditch, but as I said earlier, some things in this story that are different from the book do serve a purpose! Thanks for reading!


End file.
